Fowl, rabbits

Some interesting logic is being used in a discussion by the Moses Lake City Council on whether to allow ownership of chickens and rabbits in the city.

The planning commission received a letter seeking to change city code to allow the ownership of fowl, pigeons or rabbits. 

Planning commission chair Mitch Molitor told the council cities like Wenatchee and Spokane Valley have ordinances allowing the animals in city limits. He said one city allows a maximum of six chickens, but no roosters. Others also set strict policy limiting how many can be kept and requirements for sanitary conditions.

They haven't made a decision after a couple of city council meetings but have scheduled a study session for June 28 at 6 p.m. in the city council chambers. 

It seems like a pretty easy issue. Livestock or no livestock, but the same ordinance banning farm animals in the city has drawn concern from Grant County commissioners. It was cited as part of the reason for the fight between the city and county over annexing the Grant County Fairgrounds and connecting to the city sewer system. The city required annexation to use the sewer system.

But who wants a fair in a place that doesn't allow cows, horses, pigs, chickens, rabbits, etc.?

It is a different issue, but it is connected.

The problem we are seeing is some of the odd logic being used to oppose allowing limited ownership of chickens, pigeons or rabbits in city limits.

Councilmember Richard Pearce said there were complaints and he was worried about "major contaminants right next to your back fence."

We see a lot of complaints to the police about dogs barking, but they are still allowed. Dogs create a lot of contaminants as well.

City residents recently asked the city to move the decant station position because of their concern about smell and possible contaminants, but the city decided to move forward without changing its position. They agreed to plant trees to hide the facility. Could a future rabbit or chicken owner do the same?

Councilmember Dick Deane had a good idea. He asked how many Moses Lake High School FFA members raise chickens and rabbits for the fair.  

"The instructor up there indicates he has seven pigs that he has currently housed for students at his own farm, but that is outside the city," Deane said. "He had no requests for rabbits, zero requests since he has been there."

Of course there are no rabbits being raised by FFA students in Moses Lake, you outlawed it a few years ago. It discourages Moses Lake students from raising a chicken or rabbit for the fair. Pigs generate money at the fair and that makes up for traveling out of the city to raise one.

Councilmember David Curnel was worried about having manure piles "75 feet from my property line."

Big dogs generate a lot of manure. They create more than six chickens or a rabbit does.

The suggestion of obtaining a conditional use permit to have a chicken, pigeon or rabbit makes sense if it is applied to dogs and cats too. 

Cats let loose at night can be destructive to people's property and often a disturbance. 

Chihuahuas are noisier than chickens or rabbits. It seems they bark all the time. 

Then there is the strict sanitary regulations needed to be enforced on large dog owners - meaning German shepherds, great Danes, St. Bernards and Labrador retrievers. They should also collect the animals' waste to pile it in accordance with the same regulations as people having chickens or rabbits.

If the planning commission request was for horses, cattle or pigs, these issues would have more weight. But to prevent a person from having a rabbit or a couple of chickens should be for better reasons than noise, manure or the lack of them in the city. 

When applying the reasons given in opposition to owning dogs or cats, it appears the domestic pets might be worse than a few pigeons, chickens or rabbits.

The workshop is a good step in trying to better evaluate the request and perhaps find more logical reasons for a decision than were initially displayed. 

If the council is open to the request, they might even get people to come to the meeting and take part in the discussion, but it will be hard. There aren't many owners, of pigeons, chickens or rabbits, living in the city that care to admit they are violating city ordinances to the city council.

- Editorial board